Electric self-winding clock.



H. O. JACKSON & H. G. VIZENTS. ELBGTRIO SELF WINDING CLOCK. APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 19 08.

909,417. Patefited Jan.12.1909.

6 SHEETS-SHBE1I' 1;

I fave/2330717,"

g f/W 0 ja'whm/ a rmcaa H. 0. JACKSON & H. 0. VIZENTS ELECTRIC SELF WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 fif W M ,yae mw 9/ Z ay .H. O. JACKSON & H. O. VIZENTS.

ELECTRIC SELF WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 1908. 909,41 7, Patented Jan. 12, 1909. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N 5166666 fin y MEOW H. 0. JACKSON & H. C. VIZENTS. ELECTRIC SELF WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 190B. 909,41 '7, Patented Jan. 12, 1909. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

%9 f if fizz/67225217, jng OM50, 2 fi e/ma H. O. JACKSON 6; H. (J. VIZENTS.

ELECTRIC SELF WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 1906.

909,41 7. Patnted Jan. 12, 1909.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

. J22 a e/Zion? 5% I// ry jikww;

. L/Zr/na/a' K2,; m QM H. O. JACKSON & H. G. VIZENTS.

ELECTRIC SELF WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909 6 SHEETS-SHEET 6 UNITED STATES FATENT orrion.

HENRY OQJACKSON AND ,nEiniANQc. vI ENTs, OFG-HICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 110 TOM McNAUGHTON, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC SELF-WINDING CLOCK.

Specification. of L tters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed. April 24, 1908. Serial No. 429,064.

Tool! whom it may concern: v

Be it known that we, HE RY O. JACKSON and IIERMAN C. VIZENTS, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of 'lllinois, haverepresentation and with a portion of the 8; Figs. 4, and 6 are sections taken, re- .spectively, on lines B, C and D, Fig. 3; Fig.

I sections taken, respectively, on lines E and case shown "broken; Fig.2 is a view of the same in side-elevation, partly sectional; Fig. -3, an enlarged plan section on'line A, Fig.

7, a section like that presented. in Fig. 6,

' I but showing the mechanism in a different position, to'which it has been advanced bythe power of the clock-spring; Fig- 8 and 9 are F, Fig. 3, and Fig. 10 is a broken perspective diagram of the mechanism included in the electric circuits.

Of the clock-case, which may be-of any.

suitable construction or variety, only a portion of the top 10is shown as affording the support for the mechanism hereinafter describedon a bracket 11, of general U-shape, depending from the forward corner-portionsof a metal plate 12, with which the bracket is shown to be integral and which is fastened, as by screws, flatwise against the under surface of the case-top l0; and a transverse central web 13 is formed on the under-side of the plate, this web terminating at its forward end in a head 14 and carrying suslateral extensions forming seats for the spoolsof an electromagnet,'here1nafter de-.

scribed, and similarly connected at their upper ends by a spacer-bar 21 interposed be tween them and fastened at its ends by screws 22. This frame affords bearings for all the parts and is fastened rigidly in vertical position by a screw 23 passing .through ,the upper end of the frame-bar 18 into the head 14, and by a screw 24 passing through the base of the U'shap'ed bracket into that frame-bar just below its transverse center. The m nute-arbor 25 of the clock-inechan1sm,

carrying the hand 26, is journaled, like all i the other shafts thereof, in bearings in the two vertical frame-bars, and it is geared in the usual or any similar manner to a sleeve 27 carrying the hour-hand 28, and is also connected by a suitable train of gearing with the shaft '29 which may carry the secondshand (not shown) and on'which the escapement-wheel 30 is provided for cooperation with'theescape-lever 31 on asha-ft 32 car-rying the depending bent arm33 engaging the pendulummod 16 for swinging the pendulum. The parts thus far described present no important feature of novelty.

Directly below the minutes-hand shaft 2 5 -is rigidly fastened at its ends in the framebars asupport shown in the form of a rod 34 on which is' journaled bet-ween its ends, and preferably'midway between them, an armature 35 shown to be provided with convexly arc-shaped extremities to conform to the concavely arc-shaped inner faces of extensions of the :poles' 36 and 37 of an electromagnet 3 8, the s 001s of which are secured to the seats aii'orded by the lateral extensions of the frame-base 20. A jca-pplate 39 fastened'between the frame-bars is these extensions. A spring 40 on the rod 34 has its ends connected respectively with the armature and rear frame-bar to tend to extended laterally over the tops of 'themag- I maintain the armature in the normally in- I clined position in which it is represented of abutting againsta stop 41, wherein one end is in closeproxiinity to the base of the concave-face of the magnet-pole 36 andits other end is removed from the upper end of the corresponding face of the opposite pole. The rod 34 is looselysurrounded, adjacent to th'e armature, by the hub 42 of a ratchet 43 of peculiar formation. The teeth 44 of .this ratchet, of which four are shown, as

the preferred number, are equidistant apart -with the periphery of the wheel, between 12.)

successive teeth, formed with a straight or segment-like section 45 extending from the base of a tooth; one-half the distance be-' tween the teeth, and an arc-shaped section 46 concentric with the axis of the ratchet and extending the other half of the distance between the teeth. On the forward face of.

this ratchet is formed, to be integral and concentric therewith, a smaller ratchet 47 shown to be provided with eight teeth,of

which alternate ones coincide with the ratchet-teeth 44; and the ratchet 47 is engaged by a spring-pawl 48 onthe barrel hereinafter described. The hub 49 of an eight-toothed ratchet 50 (shown of smaller diameter than the ratchet 43) loosely surrounds the rod 34 near its forward end and spring, the unwinding of which turns the barrel to actuate the clock-train through the medium of the gear 52 The straight peripheral spaces between the teeth of the ratchet 50 correspond substantially with the straight sections 45 of the ratchet 43 and .are each practically equal in length to a section 45. A stud 54 extends laterally from the pivotal armature across the faces of the two ratchets 43 and 50 and carries a spring-pawl 55 engaging the ratchet 43 and a similar pawl 56 engaging the ratchet 50. A metal bearing-bar 57 is secured to the face of the frame-bar 18 to project beyond a lateral. edge of the'same, where it has secured to its'enda head 58 of insulating material, adjacent to which. the bar, has formed upon it an upwardly projecting car 59 carrying a rearwardly extending horizontal stud 60. This stud has journaled upon it near itsforward end one end of a spring-pressed lever 61 extending in the plane of the ratchet 50 and carrying a finger 62 depending to engage the ratchet-teeth as a detent; and this lever is bent at a rightangle toward its free end to form the depending arm 162 of im'ertedL-shape (Fig.

4) from the extremity of which it is de-. fiected. to extend horizontally backward, and

carries on its rear'end the pair of upwardly projecting spring contact-fingers 63. -The upper diverging ends of these contactfingers register with a contact-finger 64 dependingfrom the free end'of a lever 65 fulcrumed at its opposite end on the stud to extend in the plane of the ratchet 43' on the circumference of which rides a finger 66 depending from the lever and termed a jewel, being formed preferably of agate,

though it may be composed of other suitable insulating material.

is connected by a wire 67 with one terminal of an electric-currentgenerator, indicated conventionally at 68 in Big. 1, but which is preferably a dry battery stored in the bottom of the clock-case. The other end of the magnet-coils is connected with the opposite terminalof the generator by a wire 69 leading to a binding-post 70 on the insulating head 58 and continued from a similar bind ing-post 71 on said head to said generatorterminal. The binding-post 70 is connected by a branch-wire 72 with the fulcrumed end of the lever65, and the binding-post 71 is connected by a branch-wire 7 3 with the circuit is closed by engagement of theh'nger 64 with the fingers 63 and broken by separating those fingers.

The operation is as follows: The clock spring turns the barrel 51 and thereby rotates the gear 52 to drive the clock-move ment in a usual manner. In thus turning, the pawl 48 on the barrel turns the ratchet 47, thereby riding. the periphery of the ratchet 43 from the starting position represented in. Fig. 6, across the engaging end of the finger 66 until the respective section 46 of the ratchet clears the contacting end of the finger, which then drops at a tooth 44 permitting the lever to drop and contact the finger 64 with the fingers 63 to close the circuit. v The circuit remains momentarily closed until opened b the turning. of the rangement, which is that represented, is such as to cause the described circuit-closure to occur once in each seven and one-half'minutes or eight times in each hour. With each closure ofthe circuit the electro-magnet is energized to attract the armature at its ends and turn it to or toward a horizontal position between the poles, thus to the dotted position in-Fig. 7. In so turning the armature, it engages the pawl 56 with the ratchet 50'to turn the hub 49 to which the 'clockspring is fastened at its inner end and thus wind that spring to the extent to which it unwound during the aforesaid period. In the spring-winding operation of the armaturethe pawls 55 and 56 carried by it, turn ,the ratchets 5 0 and 43 to ride theirstraight peripheral sections underneath the fingers 66 and 62, thereby raising the two levers correspondingly and maintaining the circuitclosure until the finger 66 arrives at a ratchet-section 46, when the finger 62 arrives at the end of a straight section of the rachet 50 and quickly drops at a tooth thereof,

fulcruined end of the lever 61, whereby the against the succeeding ratchetsection 45, to the position represented in Fig. 7, thereby armature, as hereinafter described, 'to rewind the clock-spring.- The preferred arminutes specified, the armature will not be therefore, that the invention enables the batthereby' separating the lowercontacts from the, upper one and opening the circuit so rapidly as to avoid drawing'a spark. With the denergizing of the magnet 38, which ensues when the circuit is opened,'the spring 40 returns the armature with v the pawls 55 and 56, tonormal position, while the finger 62,0n the lever 61, by its engagement with the ratchet 50, serves as a-detentagainst the tendency of the clock-spring to reverse the turning of that ratchet.

By the improvement thus described the .primary object is attained of producing the greatest amount of power with the least expenditure of electrical energy, since in the normal position of the armature relative to the magnet-poles one of its ends is first attracted'by the'one ole in close proXimity'to it, which exertssu cient poyver to start the winding of the spring -in its-most relaxed and therefore relatively weakest condition, whereas, as the-resistance to the winding of the spring increases with itsincreasing tension, the other end of the armature is brought into the ,field of attraction of its adjacent magnet-pole, thereby to supplement the POWGIbf the first polein overcoming the increased spring resistance. -The further object is attained of using the minimum amount of battery-power for the springwinding by assuring. opening of the circuit with each re-Winding operation. Moreover, the improvement prevents the possibility of the stoppage or running down of the clock with a weakened battery, so long as it sup-. plies sufiicient powerto turn the armature against the resistance'of the clock-spring in any partially relaxed or unwound condition thereof. Thus, if the battery is too Weak to re-wi'nd the spring to its degree of complete winding from its relaxed condition resulting fromrunning the clock during a predeter-. mined period, as the seven and one-half suliiciently' turned byv the, magnet at the end of that eriod, and the spring, in running the clocl during another like period, willrelax that much more andpresent less resistance to -re-winding,' for which the current from the weakened battery will be sulficient; and so on until the battery entirely gives out or becomes too weak to partially wind the clock-s )ring in any degree of relaxation thereof in which it is still sufiiciently powerful to run the movement. It will be seen,

tery to be practically used' up completely, before it becomes inoperative. As will be observed, the re-winding of the spring is performed in a'manner to avoid, meantime, any drag upon or opposition to the running of themovement, because in rewinding both ratchets 43 and 50 turn in the same direction as the barrel turns.

The greater diameter of'the ratchet 43 relative to the ratchet 50 provides for the following contingencyz Sh-ould the armsture, for any reason, fail to turn-the ratchet 50 far enough to register a tooth "thereof with the finger 62, without providing means to prevent, the battery would soon becomeexhausted since the circuit would remain closed, because the lever 61 would not drop, as-described, to open it. This is prevented by providing the ratchet 43 of the greater relative diameter, since in the continued turning of that ratchet under the driving action of the clock-movement, it will ride an arc-shaped section v4:6 under the finger 66 and thereby raise the lever 65 sufficiently far to lift the contact-finger 64 out of engagement with the other fingers 63, and thus break the circuit. 1 We claim.

1. In an electric self-winding clock, the.

gages, and carrying a smaller ratchet engaged by said pawl, a circuit-opening ratchet on said support having the opposite end of the clock-spring fastened to it, and pawls on the armature engaging said circuit closing .and opening ,ratchets, for the purpose set forth.

2. In an electric self-Winding clock, the combination with a frame,'of a clock-train supported'thereon, a slip ort in said frame, a barrel mounted on $211 support and car- 'r'yin thefiriving-gear for said train and a pawa clock-spring confined in the barrel with one'fend securedthereto, an electroniagnet, a;n-energ1z1ng-'c1rcu1t for said magnet, an armature journaled' on said support to extend its opposite ends into proximity to the respective magnet-poles, leversm said circuit carrying cooperating circuit closing contact-fingers, a circuit closing ratchet on said support w th whlch one of said levers engages. and carrying asmaller ratchet engaged by said. pawl, a circuitopening ratcheton said support having the opposite endjof the clock-sprin *vfastened to it and provided with teeth' I orming a multiple of the number thereof-on said firstnanied ratchet, and pawls on the armature engaging said circuit closing and opening ratchets, for the pur ose set forth.

- 3. In an electricfse f-winding clock, the combination with a frame of a. clock-train supported thereon,

supported thereon, s support i i said frame, a barrel on said support carrying the driving-gear for saiditraio, a cloclzspring confined in the. barrel with one end secured thereto, an electro-nagnet and energizingcircuit therefor, a swinging armature for said magnet, a pair of levers in said circuit carrying cooperating circuit-closing contact-fingers, a oirouit closing ratchet on said support having a driving connection; with said barreland provided between successive teeth with concentric ere shaped and straight peripheral sections, a fingeron one of said levers engaging with the periphery of said ratchet, a pawl on the armature en-.

gaging saidratchet, and annature-actuated] means connected with said spring to Wmdpurpose set forth 4 4. In an electric self-Winding clock, the combination with a frame, of a clock-train a support in said frame, a. barrel on said support carrying the drivit bv' movement of the armature, for the ing-gear for saidtrain and a pawl, a clockspring confined in the barrel With one end secured thereto, an electric-magnet and an seem? ratchet on said support carrying a smaller ratchetengaged by said pawl and provided uniformly between successive teeth with successive arc-shaped and straight periph eral sections, a finger on one of said levers engaging said sectional periphery," a circuitopening ratchet on said support having the 'oppositeend of the clock-spring fastened to it and provided with teeth forming a multiple of the number thereof on said firstnamed ratchet, a detent extending from s the other lever into engagement with saidcircuit-opening ratchet, and pawls on the armature;engaging said circuit-closing and opening ratohets, for the purpose set forth.

' HENRY O. JACKSON.

HERMAN O. VIZENTS. In presence 0f- RALPH A. SOHAEFER, JOHN SOHUOK. 

